Providers Blast CMS on Two-Midnight RuleHealth Leaders Media

July 1, 2014

For the past year, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have been at odds with healthcare providers over a proposed standard for drawing the line between outpatient and inpatient status.

Under the proposed “two-midnight rule,” most hospital stays lasting less than two midnights in duration would be reimbursed at outpatient rates through Medicare B. Longer stays requiring hospital admission would be reimbursed at the more lucrative Medicare A inpatient rate.